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If you or your child are having a dental procedure done, you might be considering whether sedation dentistry options are a good idea. For some procedures, there are several advantages to choosing dental sedation. Generally, these advantages combine what you are comfortable with and what your dentist has to offer.
The Dental Anesthesia Center is a state-of-the-art dental facility for patients who require general anesthesia, deep sedation, or oral sedation for their dental care. Young children unable to cooperate and individuals with mental or physical disabilities can benefit from these services.
Four Major Advantages of Dental Sedation
There are four significant advantages to using dental sedation. In these instances, any risks are often far outweighed by the benefits gained.
- Doing away with fear and anxiety – Whether it is because you have had a bad experience in the past or your child is just fearful of the unknown, dental sedation is an excellent way to “take the edge off” and to reduce the fear and anxiety that some people feel when going to the dentist. Using the minimum sedation possible, sometimes not having to feel uneasy or uncomfortable is well worth it and typically comes without any risks or side effects.
- The ease of the procedure or treatment – Some procedures are just more uncomfortable than others, and some people are highly sensitive. If you have a bad gag reflex or sensitive teeth, sedation dentistry is an excellent way to take away any pain and discomfort that you might have. Sedation can help procedures go more smoothly and help the patient from experiencing any unnecessary pain.
- Being able to rest – Sometimes sitting still in a dentist chair isn’t just difficult for children, but adults too. If you have to spend a lot of time in the dental office, you might as well sit back, relax, and get a little rest. For procedures that take a lot of time, it is an excellent alternative to get kids to sit still and not get antsy.
- For patients with mental or physical disabilities – Young children or individuals with physical or mental disabilities who are unable to cooperate for dental treatment can benefit from these services.
St. Louis Sedation, Sleep & Special Needs Dentistry
If you struggle with dental anxiety there are many benefits to sedation dentistry.
When a patient hears the word “sedation,” it can cause a lot of anxiety. There are always inherent risks to sedation, but the risks are generally very low when it comes to sedation dentistry, and there are often many advantages. Although called “sedation dentistry,” the patient is not asleep. They are given a sedative that makes them feel sleepy, but they are not unconscious or asleep at all.
The benefits of sedation dentistry are numerous. Since you are generally kept awake throughout the procedure, it is free of many of the risks you get with other types of medical anesthesia. Feeling relaxed and anxious-free, most patients are completely unaware of what is being done and can’t recall most of what happened. Unlike general anesthesia, it gives the patient the benefit of reducing anxiety and pain, but it does not have the same risks.
Patients also feel as if the procedure took minutes, regardless of how extensive the treatment was. That allows dentists to perform more work simultaneously, which reduces the number of appointments that a patient has to go through. When not given sedation, patients will often get “antsy” after a while, which is why dentists will break up the appointments to increase their level of comfort.
Sometimes going to the dentist can provoke anxiety in patients. Whether they have had a previous bad experience or not, the use of sedation makes cosmetic dentistry a viable option for some people who are worried about the risks of anesthesia or the pain associated with dental work. It also encourages people to go to the doctor more frequently, which increases their overall dental health. Sometimes people avoid the dentist until they absolutely can’t, and by then, their dental situation is far more serious. Prevention is always the best solution to oral care, and sedation dentistry provides patients with a much more positive experience when going to the dentist.
Although there will still need to be anesthetic injections to block the pain to the teeth being worked on, the injection is given after sedation, so you don’t feel it. You might remember the injection because you are conscious, but you won’t be hurt or bothered by it. You also won’t remember any pain that might have been associated with the injection.
Your initial oral examination includes a visual examination, charting, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations. We will also take x-rays, which include the panoramic x-ray for proper diagnosis of the anterior (front) and posterior (back) teeth as well as the bite-wing x-ray series for proper diagnosis of proximal decay of posterior teeth.
There are different levels of sedation for each patient. The sedation method for an individual is determined on the patient’s medical history and current physical and mental health. We will discuss these options during your visit.
